Will Kilkenny retain the Guinness All-Ireland hurling crown or will Limerick end a 34-year wait? The answer to that question will be provided in Croke Park on Sunday (3.30) when the counties clash in the All-Ireland final and, barring a draw, bring down the curtain on what has been an excellent 2007 campaign. It will be the first time since 1974 that they have met in the final while their last championship meeting was two years ago when Kilkenny won an All-Ireland quarter-final by five points. Kilkenny are chasing their 30th title which would bring them alongside Cork at the top of the honours table. Limerick are hoping to win their 8th title, thereby consolidating their fourth place position on the honours table behind Cork, Kilkenny and Tipperary. Kilkenny and Limerick last clashed in a competitive game in the National League last March which Kilkenny won by 2-17 to 0-12. PATHS TO THE FINAL KILKENNY Kilkenny 1-27 Offaly 1-13 (Leinster semi-final) Kilkenny 2-24 Wexford 1-12 (Leinster final) Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 1-18 (All-Ireland quarter-final) Kilkenny 0-23 Wexford 1-10 (All-Ireland semi-final) Kilkenny Scorers Henry Shefflin........... 0-43 Eddie Brennan......... 2-5 Martin Comerford... 0-12 Eoin Larkin............... 2-6 Willie O'Dwyer....... 2-5 'Cha' Fitzpatrick.... 0-10 Aidan Fogarty........ 0-4 Derek Lyng............. 0-3 Richie Power........... 0-2 Tommy Walsh.......... 0-1 JJ Delaney............... 0-1 Michael Fennelly.... 0-1 Eoin Reid............... 0-1 Brian Hogan........... 0-1 Michael Rice.......... 0-1 LIMERICK Limerick 1-19 Tipperary 1-19 (Munster semi-final) Limerick 1-24 Tipperary 2-21 (Replay – After extra-time) Limerick 0-22 Tipperary 2-13 (2nd replay – After extra-time) Waterford 3-17 Limerick 1-14 (Munster final) Limerick 1-23 Clare 1-16 (All-Ireland quarter-final) Limerick 5-11 Waterford 2-15 (All-Ireland semi-final) Limerick scorers Andrew O'Shaughnessy.... 2-39 Michael Fitzgerald............... 1-14 Ollie Moran........................... 0-16 Donie Ryan........................... 3-2 Niall Moran.......................... 0-10 Kevin Tobin.......................... 0-8 Brian Begley......................... 2-2 Brian Geary.......................... 0-5 Patrick Tobin....................... 1-2 Mike O'Brien....................... 0-4 James O'Brien..................... 0-4 Barry Foley......................... 0-3 Donal O'Grady.................. 0-3 Mark Foley.......................... 0-1 PREVIOUS KILKENNY v LIMERICK CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES The counties have clashes eight times in the championship with each winning four games. 1897: Limerick 3-4 Kilkenny 2-4 (All-Ireland final) 1933: Kilkenny 1-7 Limerick 0-6 (All-Ireland final) 1935: Kilkenny 2-5 Limerick 2-4 (All-Ireland final) 1936: Limerick 5-6 Kilkenny 1-5 (All-Ireland final) 1940: Limerick 3-7 Kilkenny 1-7 (All-Ireland final) 1973: Limerick 1-21 Kilkenny 1-14 (All-Ireland final) 1974: Kilkenny 3-19 Limerick 1-13 (All-Ireland final) 2005: Kilkenny 0-18 Limerick 0-13 (All-Ireland quarter-final) ALL-IRELAND HONOURS TABLE 30: Cork (1890-1892-1893-1894-1902-1903-1919-1926-1928-1929-1931-1941-1942-1943-1944-1946-1952-1953-1954-1966-1970-1976-1977-1978-1984-1986-1990-1999-2004-2005). 29: KILKENNY (1904-1905-1907-1909-1911-1912-1913-1922-1932-1933-1935-1939-1947-1957-1963-1967-1969-1972-1974-1975-1979-1982-1983-1992-1993-2000-2002-2003-2006) 25: Tipperary (1887-1895-1896-1898-1899-1900-1906-1908-1916-1925-1930-1937-1945-1949-1950-1951-1958-1961-962-1964-1965-1971-1989-1991-2001) 7: LIMERICK (1897-1918-21-34-36-40-73) 6: Dublin (1889-1917-1920-1924-1927-1938) 6: Wexford (1910-1955-1956-1960-1968-1996) 4: Galway (1923-1980-1987-1988) 4: Offaly (1981-1985-1994-1998) 3: Clare (1914-1995-1997) 2: Waterford (1948-1959) 1: Kerry (1891) 1: Laois (1915) 1: London (1901) HOW KILKENNY WON THEIR 29 ALL-IRELAND TITLES 1904 – Kilkenny 1-9 Cork 1-8 1905 – Kilkenny 7-7 Cork 2-9 1907 – Kilkenny 3-12 Cork 4-8 1909 – Kilkenny 4-6 Tipperary 0-12 1911 – Kilkenny 3-3 Tipperary 2-1 1912 – Kilkenny 2-1 Cork 1-3 1913 – Kilkenny 2-4 Tipperary 1-2 1922 – Kilkenny 4-2 Tipperary 2-6 1932 – Kilkenny 3-3 Clare 2-3 1933 – Kilkenny 1-7 Limerick 0-6 1935 – Kilkenny 2-5 Limerick 2-4 1939 – Kilkenny 2-7 Cork 3-3 1947 – Kilkenny 0-14 Cork 2-7 1957 – Kilkenny 4-10 Waterford 3-12 1963 – Kilkenny 4-17 Waterford 6-8 1967 – Kilkenny 3-8 Tipperary 2-7 1969 – Kilkenny 2-15 Cork 2-9 1972 – Kilkenny 3-24 Cork 5-11 1974 – Kilkenny 3-19 Limerick 1-13 1975 – Kilkenny 2-22 Galway 2-10 1979 – Kilkenny 2-12 Galway 1-8 1982 – Kilkenny 3-18 Cork 1-13 1983 – Kilkenny 2-14 Cork 2-12 1992 – Kilkenny 3-10 Cork 1-12 1993 – Kilkenny 2-17 Galway 1-15 2000 – Kilkenny 5-15 Offaly 1-14 2002 – Kilkenny 2-20 Clare 0-19 2003 – Kilkenny 1-14 Cork 1-11 2006 – Kilkenny 1-16 Cork 1-13 HOW LIMERICK WON THEIR SEVEN ALL-IRELAND TITLES 1897: Limerick 3-4 Kilkenny 2-4 1918: Limerick 9-5 Wexford 1-3 1921: Limerick 8-5 Dublin 3-2 1934: Limerick 5-2Dublin 2-6 1936: Limerick 5-6 Kilkenny 1-5 1940: Limerick 3-7 Kilkenny 1-7 1973: Limerick 1-21 Kilkenny 1-14 O'SHAUGHNESSY AND SHEFFLIN IN SCORING SHOOT-OUT Andrew Shaughnessy (Limerick) and Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) are all set for a head-to-head shoot-out next Sunday week to decide who tops the scoring charts for the 2007 championship. Offaly's Damien Murray currently leads the way on 3-39, three points ahead of O'Shaughnessy and five clear of Shefflin. However, Murray's campaign is over whereas the other two will be gunning for big returns in the All-Ireland final. Shefflin has accumulated his 0-43 total from four games whereas O'Shaughnessy's 2-39 has come from six games. He was actually lying in 9th place prior to the All-Ireland semi-final against Limerick where he scored 2-7 to send him zooming up the rankings. Shefflin is bidding to top the charts for the third time in four seasons having also finished on top in 2004 (6-45) and last year (2-47). Galway's Ger Farragher headed the list in 2005 on 3-57. The leading scorers in this year's Guinness hurling championships are as follows: Player | Total | Games | Average ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ Damien Murray | 3-39 (48) | 5 | 9.6 (Offaly | | | ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ Andrew | 2-39 (45) | 6 | 7.5 O'Shaughnessy | | | (Limerick | | | ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ Henry Shefflin | 0-43 (43) | 4 | 10.75 (Kilkenny) | | | ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ Eoin Kelly | 1-38 (41) | 6 | 6.83 (Tipperary) | | | ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ James Young | 2-32 (38) | 4 | 9.5 (Laois) | | | ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ Dan Shanahan | 8-12 (36) | 5 | 7.2 (Waterford) | | | ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ Joe Deane | 0-35 (35) | 7 | 5.0 (Cork) | | | ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ Ruairi Convery | 1-31 (34) | 3 | 11.33 (Derry) | | | ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ Ben O'Connor | 0-34 (34) | 7 | 4.85 (Cork) | | | ------------------+------------------+------------------+------------------ Willie Ryan | 3-20 (29) | 6 | 4.83 (Tipperary) | | | GUINNESS ALL-IRELAND FINAL SHORTS *Kilkenny have remained unbeaten in the championship since losing to Galway in the 2005 All-Ireland semi-final. In the interim, they have beaten Wexford (3), Galway (2), Westmeath, Clare, Cork and Offaly. *Brian Cody is managing Kilkenny into an All-Ireland final for the 7th time. Kilkenny won it under his guidance in 2000-2002-2003-2006 and lost in 1999 and 2004. *Limerick lost their last four All-Ireland finals, beaten by Kilkenny (3-19 to 1-13) in 1974; by Galway (2-15 to 3-9) in 1980; by Offaly (3-16 to 2-13) in 1994 and by Wexford (1-13 to 0-14) in 1996. *Limerick are seeking to emulate Offaly (1998) and Cork (2004) who won the All-Ireland titles after being beaten in their provincial finals. *What odds a draw? The last All-Ireland hurling final to end level was 48 years ago when Kilkenny and Waterford finished all square (5-5 to 1-17) in 1959. Waterford won the replay by 3-12 to 1-10. GUINNESS HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP 2007 LEINSTER May 27: Quarter-final: Offaly 1-26 Laois 0-10, Tullamore. June 9: Semi-final: Wexford 2-14 Dublin 3-10, Nowlan Park June 10: Semi-final: Kilkenny 1-27 Offaly 1-13, Portlaoise. July 1: Final: Kilkenny 2-24 Wexford 1-12, Croke Park. MUNSTER May 27: Quarter-final: Cork 1-18 Clare 1-11, Thurles. June 10: Semi-final: Limerick 1-19 Tipperary 1-19, Gaelic Grounds. June 16: Semi-final (replay): Limerick 1-24 Tipperary 2-21, Thurles (after extra-time) June 17: Semi-final: Waterford 5-15 Cork 3-18, Thurles. June 24: Semi-final (2nd replay): Limerick 0-22 Tipperary 2-13, Gaelic Grounds (after extra-time). July 8: Final: Waterford 3-17 Limerick 1-14, Thurles. ULSTER May 13: Quarter-final: Derry 1-14 Armagh 0-16 Casement Park; Semi-final: Antrim 4-16 London 3-8, Casement Park. May 20: Semi-final: Down 1-13 Derry 0-16, Casement Park. May 26: Semi-final (replay) Down 5-16 Derry 1-15, Casement Park June 3: Final: Antrim 2-24 Down 0-4, Casement Park. ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIERS June 30: Group 1A: Clare 3-21 Antrim 2-15, Casement Park; Galway 3-20 Laois 1-14, Portlaoise. Group 1B: Cork 3-20 Dublin 0-15, Parnell Park; Tipperary 2-17 Offaly 2-13, Thurles; July 7: Group 1A: Clare 2-10 Galway 0-14, Ennis; Antrim 1-23 Laois 1-13, Casement Park. Group 1B: Cork 1-27 Offaly 0-11, Pairc Ui Chaoimh; Tipperary 1-20 Dublin 1-11, Parnell Park. July 14: Group 1A: Galway 2-31 Antrim 1-9, Pearse Stadium; Clare 2-14 Laois 1-11, Portlaoise. Group 1B: Offaly 2-25 Dublin 2-13, Tullamore; Tipperary 2-16 Cork 1-18, Thurles. ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIPS July 28: Quarter-finals: Wexford 3-10 Tipperary 1-14; Kilkenny 3-22 Galway 1-18 (Both in Croke Park) July 29: Quarter-finals: Limerick 1-23 Clare 1-16; Cork 3-16 Waterford 1-13 (Both in Croke Park) August 5: All-Ireland semi-final: Kilkenny 0-23 Wexford 1-10; Quarter-final replay: Waterford 2-17 Cork 0-20 (Both in Croke Park). August 12: All-Ireland semi-final: Limerick 5-11 Waterford 2-15. Next Sunday: All-Ireland final: Kilkenny v Limerick, Croke Park. Tweet

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